Good evening.
Before I forget, again, I need to say a big THANK YOU to those of you who sent David Subway gift cards. We received some gas cards and with the Subway gift cards our trip yesterday only cost us $8!! And that was for the toll bridge~~~~$4 each way. Gas was taken care of, and lunch and dinner were on the gift cards. I just want you to know what a HUGE blessing that was. Thank you so much.
David is feeling better today. I forgot to mention that he got quite carsick yesterday. He got sick going to S.F. and he got sick on the way home. He had his window down for part of the trip; and it was freezing!!! Luckily, I always have my Winnie the Pooh blanket in the car with me! I love Winnie the Pooh (smile). So I just covered up with my blanket and I was ok. Plus, my car has heated leather seats. But it was still pretty cold in the car~~~~~we gotta do what we gotta do! At least it made David feel better. I am really tired of him getting sick all the time, still. My friend said his ulcer could be acting up. That wouldn't surprise me; he is pretty stressed out about another surgery. And a huge surgery at that! Poor kid.
Right now David is at his Bible Study. He opted to put his brace back on his leg to protect his knee. I kinda don't see the point; the knee is already broken. But he says it makes him feel more secure, so that is fine!!! Because the leg is unstable, and 'loose,' he feels better with it imobilized. That is perfectly fine with us.
Thank you for all the words of encouragement; both here and to me via email. Also for the encouragement on Facebook. I really appreciate all you guys! Thank you so much. I know we will get through this, we are just very tired and emotionally drained. It just seems like we can't catch a break! The last 2 years (almost) have been the roller coaster ride that everyone warned us about; and I just want to get off! It is so much worse than we could ever imagine. We look at pictures of David when he was first admitted to Children's, and I can't help but think, 'we had no idea what was in store for our precious son; and the rest of the family.' Our family has been forever changed by this uninvited monster. We can NEVER go back to the way it was. This isn't like a broken leg, the flu, or an earache. David won't just 'get over' this and go back to life as usual. NOTHING is the same. It will NEVER be the same again. Yes, we have grown as a family. Yes, we have learned from this whole experience. But, all things being equal, I would have rather learned these things some other way!!! Or just not learned them at all! I just feel so bad for my poor son. This just sucks sooooo bad. *sigh* He has lost so much through all this. Like I said before, he has lost his innocence, his childhood, his natural femur and knee, his ability to walk normally, his 'unscarred' body, some friends, and even some lung tissue! But he continues to be a trooper, and he trusts us; his parents; to do what is best for him. He is such a fantastic child. I am so glad he is mine!!!
Well, I need to get his medicine ready; he will be home soon. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all the love, prayers, and support. We still need prayer for our 'special request.' Thank you for being there. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
P.S.~~~I forgot to tell you that finally one thing is working in our favor! Yay! Our insurance for the next fiscal year kicks in November 1st. David will most likely have surgery October 26, so we won't have to come up with the deductibles......yet! With the tens of thousands of $$$$ in medical bills we already have, this helps! Can we all say a collective 'yay' together? I know it is just putting off the inevitable, but still.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a long day. David had his orthodontist appointment at 8am. His teeth look great, and the orthodontist is pleased with his progress.
Then we left for San Francisco around 9:30am, and we got home around 10:00pm. We found out what the problem is. Are you sitting down? If not, please do. This might be a long post. Ready?
Ok, here goes. As we feared, the knee is broken. Dr. O had David lay on the table, then he was holding David's leg down at the thigh, and he could rotate David's lower leg so his foot is rotated 90 degrees!! He said, "That isn't supposed to happen." It looked very bizarre to see his upper leg facing up, and his toes facing the wall!! There was no rotation from the hip, it was all the knee; which is what led him to the conclusion that the knee is broken. The xray looked ok, so he was very surprised that the knee is broken. He also said something very surprising.....NOT! He said, "I have never seen this before." Really? Wow, that shocks me!! Not really. We are really tired of hearing that sentence! David is our curve-ball thrower; but still! Why does all the 'never seen this before' have to pertain to David? So, the way to 'fix' this problem is to put him through a revision. He will be having another expandable implant put in. He will have another revision in a year or two to put in a non-expandable implant. Yes, he will have the whole thing redone~~not just the knee. It is all one unit. The tentative date we have is October 26th, but it could be as early as October 19; or as late as November 9th; it all depends on how soon Biomet can get the custom-made prosthesis made. And the other factor we are looking at is the financial aspect of it. We can't stay at the Family House because David isn't in 'active treatment' at this point. So we will have to stay in a hotel~~~only one person can stay with David. We don't know where the money for that is going to come from, but we can't worry about that. We are more concerned with David going through his 10th surgery in two years! He is NOT looking forward to it, of course. But, the trooper that he is, he will deal with it. The one positive thing is he isn't undergoing chemo, so he should heal faster this time. And we know that the dilaudid works really good for pain control. Please pray for David in these next few weeks as he prepares himself, emotionally, for another major surgery. Also, please pray for our finances, that we will be able to somehow afford a week of staying in a hotel. Yes, David will be in the hospital for a week. Thank you for your prayers up to this point; please keep them coming!!
I am tired, so I want to go to bed. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep praying for us. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a long day. David had his orthodontist appointment at 8am. His teeth look great, and the orthodontist is pleased with his progress.
Then we left for San Francisco around 9:30am, and we got home around 10:00pm. We found out what the problem is. Are you sitting down? If not, please do. This might be a long post. Ready?
Ok, here goes. As we feared, the knee is broken. Dr. O had David lay on the table, then he was holding David's leg down at the thigh, and he could rotate David's lower leg so his foot is rotated 90 degrees!! He said, "That isn't supposed to happen." It looked very bizarre to see his upper leg facing up, and his toes facing the wall!! There was no rotation from the hip, it was all the knee; which is what led him to the conclusion that the knee is broken. The xray looked ok, so he was very surprised that the knee is broken. He also said something very surprising.....NOT! He said, "I have never seen this before." Really? Wow, that shocks me!! Not really. We are really tired of hearing that sentence! David is our curve-ball thrower; but still! Why does all the 'never seen this before' have to pertain to David? So, the way to 'fix' this problem is to put him through a revision. He will be having another expandable implant put in. He will have another revision in a year or two to put in a non-expandable implant. Yes, he will have the whole thing redone~~not just the knee. It is all one unit. The tentative date we have is October 26th, but it could be as early as October 19; or as late as November 9th; it all depends on how soon Biomet can get the custom-made prosthesis made. And the other factor we are looking at is the financial aspect of it. We can't stay at the Family House because David isn't in 'active treatment' at this point. So we will have to stay in a hotel~~~only one person can stay with David. We don't know where the money for that is going to come from, but we can't worry about that. We are more concerned with David going through his 10th surgery in two years! He is NOT looking forward to it, of course. But, the trooper that he is, he will deal with it. The one positive thing is he isn't undergoing chemo, so he should heal faster this time. And we know that the dilaudid works really good for pain control. Please pray for David in these next few weeks as he prepares himself, emotionally, for another major surgery. Also, please pray for our finances, that we will be able to somehow afford a week of staying in a hotel. Yes, David will be in the hospital for a week. Thank you for your prayers up to this point; please keep them coming!!
I am tired, so I want to go to bed. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Please keep praying for us. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Monday, September 28, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Good evening.
Well, tomorrow is the day!! Finally! It will be a long day. David as an orthodontist appointment at 8:00! Way early. Then when we get home from that we will be leaving for San Francisco. I don't know how the traffic will be; hopefully we will miss it all. David's appointment is at 3:40; so by the time we get out of there we will probably hit rush hour traffic. Like I said a few months back, I don't know why they call it 'rush hour,' NOBODY is rushing! They are pretty much sitting and inching along. And it lasts longer than an hour, too. *sigh* We will get home as soon as we can. the traffic is out of our control, as is everything else in our life!! It will just be a really long day.
Yesterday was a good day. Jeremy and Lucy came over for lunch. I made shredded pork enchiladas, and they were good. Then we had present time; yesterday was my birthday. It was a good day with my children. I don't know how the years just keep going faster and faster! This time last year David was still having chemo. In some ways it seems like a loooonnnng time ago; and in other ways it seems like just yesterday! Time is a strange thing.
Please pray for us to have a safe trip to San Francisco tomorrow. David doesn't want to go, as usual. But we need to get this leg/knee thing figured out and fixed! Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Please keep praying for Sammie. Thank you.
Well, tomorrow is the day!! Finally! It will be a long day. David as an orthodontist appointment at 8:00! Way early. Then when we get home from that we will be leaving for San Francisco. I don't know how the traffic will be; hopefully we will miss it all. David's appointment is at 3:40; so by the time we get out of there we will probably hit rush hour traffic. Like I said a few months back, I don't know why they call it 'rush hour,' NOBODY is rushing! They are pretty much sitting and inching along. And it lasts longer than an hour, too. *sigh* We will get home as soon as we can. the traffic is out of our control, as is everything else in our life!! It will just be a really long day.
Yesterday was a good day. Jeremy and Lucy came over for lunch. I made shredded pork enchiladas, and they were good. Then we had present time; yesterday was my birthday. It was a good day with my children. I don't know how the years just keep going faster and faster! This time last year David was still having chemo. In some ways it seems like a loooonnnng time ago; and in other ways it seems like just yesterday! Time is a strange thing.
Please pray for us to have a safe trip to San Francisco tomorrow. David doesn't want to go, as usual. But we need to get this leg/knee thing figured out and fixed! Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Please keep praying for Sammie. Thank you.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a very busy day. All the kids cleaned their rooms today! And I washed David's sheets. It is so great to have all the upstairs clean!! And Bryon and I cleaned downstairs. Bryon did all the 'deep' vacuuming~~~you know, the walls, ceiling fans, silk plants, etc. I guess you could say we did Fall cleaning! Then we went to church. We really like going there; David really enjoys it. The sermon tonight was great~~~it was titled 'Why pray when you can worry?' I have to admit, I spend too much time worrying and not enough time praying. I wasn't always like that; but having my child diagnosed with cancer kinda messed me up a bit. I really needed to hear that sermon tonight. So it was really good. Then we came home and made spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. And now we are relaxing~~~chores are done! Yay!
David said his knee is the same. He did say his leg went really weird (way off to the side) when he was trying to get on his bed, and it kinda scared him. 3 more days!!! Then we will hopefully have some answers. Those 3 days can't come soon enough for me! It just stinks that we have to make an extra trip to the Bay Area. We weren't planning on that. So that is why I really appreciate the money that was deposited into David's account. Thank you again, whoever you are. Please continue to pray that David's knee is fixable without having to be replaced. I know he has to have the whole prosthesis replaced in a couple years, but still. He has already had way too many surgeries!! Thank you for your prayers.
I forgot to tell you, last night Rachel and I made an apple pie. So we are going to have some tonight, just as soon as Jennifer finishes the dishes. Rachel has been nagging me for some since we made it! (smile) She did a great job.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a very busy day. All the kids cleaned their rooms today! And I washed David's sheets. It is so great to have all the upstairs clean!! And Bryon and I cleaned downstairs. Bryon did all the 'deep' vacuuming~~~you know, the walls, ceiling fans, silk plants, etc. I guess you could say we did Fall cleaning! Then we went to church. We really like going there; David really enjoys it. The sermon tonight was great~~~it was titled 'Why pray when you can worry?' I have to admit, I spend too much time worrying and not enough time praying. I wasn't always like that; but having my child diagnosed with cancer kinda messed me up a bit. I really needed to hear that sermon tonight. So it was really good. Then we came home and made spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad for dinner. And now we are relaxing~~~chores are done! Yay!
David said his knee is the same. He did say his leg went really weird (way off to the side) when he was trying to get on his bed, and it kinda scared him. 3 more days!!! Then we will hopefully have some answers. Those 3 days can't come soon enough for me! It just stinks that we have to make an extra trip to the Bay Area. We weren't planning on that. So that is why I really appreciate the money that was deposited into David's account. Thank you again, whoever you are. Please continue to pray that David's knee is fixable without having to be replaced. I know he has to have the whole prosthesis replaced in a couple years, but still. He has already had way too many surgeries!! Thank you for your prayers.
I forgot to tell you, last night Rachel and I made an apple pie. So we are going to have some tonight, just as soon as Jennifer finishes the dishes. Rachel has been nagging me for some since we made it! (smile) She did a great job.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Good evening.
Today was a busy day. I had to walk my friend's son to school again today. I walked Berlynn with me. When I got home Bryon had to take my car in for an oil change. I was behind on that, didn't have the money to do it. Anyway, I made David breakfast and got some housework done. Then my phone was acting up, big time, so we had to go to apple store to have it looked at. Well, they just ended up giving me a new one. I hate getting a new phone! I lost some information that was on the old one. Plus, I am very sentimental; and it was David's old phone. When he got a new one I got his old one. So it was kinda sad for me to get the new one. I just wanted the old one fixed! *sigh* Then we got home and made dinner. Then we had to take Berlynn to training. Rachel gave Bryon the training for a Father's Day present. It just seemed like a very busy day.
David is doing the same. I can't wait to get that leg looked at so we can get it fixed! Poor kid is tired of being on crutches again. It always seems to be something. Please continue to pray that he stays out of pain. Thanks.
Please remember to pray for Sammie. Here is her website, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Today was a busy day. I had to walk my friend's son to school again today. I walked Berlynn with me. When I got home Bryon had to take my car in for an oil change. I was behind on that, didn't have the money to do it. Anyway, I made David breakfast and got some housework done. Then my phone was acting up, big time, so we had to go to apple store to have it looked at. Well, they just ended up giving me a new one. I hate getting a new phone! I lost some information that was on the old one. Plus, I am very sentimental; and it was David's old phone. When he got a new one I got his old one. So it was kinda sad for me to get the new one. I just wanted the old one fixed! *sigh* Then we got home and made dinner. Then we had to take Berlynn to training. Rachel gave Bryon the training for a Father's Day present. It just seemed like a very busy day.
David is doing the same. I can't wait to get that leg looked at so we can get it fixed! Poor kid is tired of being on crutches again. It always seems to be something. Please continue to pray that he stays out of pain. Thanks.
Please remember to pray for Sammie. Here is her website, again. www.caringbridge.org/visit/sammiehartsfield. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Good evening.
David had a 'regular' day today. He did his schooling and then played games. He really needs to clean his room.........Anyway; tonight is his Teen Bible Study. He really likes it! They even feed the kids before class. He told me that he really enjoys going; I am sooooo glad. This is the first time he has had an opportunity to go to an 'age-appropriate' Bible study. I am so thrilled that he really enjoys it, too! They make it fun, too. They give the kids raffle tickets for wearing a special shirt, for bringing their Bibles, and for doing the lesson. David has the whole Bible downloaded on his iPhone, so he always has it with him. He is even real diligent about doing the work daily, along with his school work. Such a great kid. Have I told you that before? He really is a fantastic kid, and we are so proud of him.
We are starting to get a bit of 'scanxity' going already. David has scans on October 9. I feel such pressure with his surgeon appointment on Tuesday, then scans the next week. We are not sure how things are going to go, time-wise, but it is all in God's hands. I mean, if he has to have surgery on his knee, can it wait until after scans? I mean, it kinda has to. The scans need to be done at rather specific times. He is classified as 'high risk' to relapse, so we want to make sure the scans happen when they need to. Please pray with us that everything works out the best way for David. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for Sammie. Her pain is increasing, which is expected, but not good. She is scared, poor thing. I don't blame her. I guess the pain is only going to increase as she gets closer to losing her fight. Her hospice upped her meds, but she is still in a lot of pain. Thank you for praying for her.
Not much else to report. We have to get ready for bed; Bryon has to be at work tomorrow at 5am!! Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support. Thank you to whoever deposited money in David's account. You have no idea how much that is appreciated. We have another overnighter on October 9, and the money is greatly needed and tremendously appreciated. I pray God blesses you 100-fold for your generosity. 'Thank you' just doesn't seem adequate.
You all have a good night tonight. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of-pocket expenses of about $40,000 PER YEAR, not including travel.
David had a 'regular' day today. He did his schooling and then played games. He really needs to clean his room.........Anyway; tonight is his Teen Bible Study. He really likes it! They even feed the kids before class. He told me that he really enjoys going; I am sooooo glad. This is the first time he has had an opportunity to go to an 'age-appropriate' Bible study. I am so thrilled that he really enjoys it, too! They make it fun, too. They give the kids raffle tickets for wearing a special shirt, for bringing their Bibles, and for doing the lesson. David has the whole Bible downloaded on his iPhone, so he always has it with him. He is even real diligent about doing the work daily, along with his school work. Such a great kid. Have I told you that before? He really is a fantastic kid, and we are so proud of him.
We are starting to get a bit of 'scanxity' going already. David has scans on October 9. I feel such pressure with his surgeon appointment on Tuesday, then scans the next week. We are not sure how things are going to go, time-wise, but it is all in God's hands. I mean, if he has to have surgery on his knee, can it wait until after scans? I mean, it kinda has to. The scans need to be done at rather specific times. He is classified as 'high risk' to relapse, so we want to make sure the scans happen when they need to. Please pray with us that everything works out the best way for David. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for Sammie. Her pain is increasing, which is expected, but not good. She is scared, poor thing. I don't blame her. I guess the pain is only going to increase as she gets closer to losing her fight. Her hospice upped her meds, but she is still in a lot of pain. Thank you for praying for her.
Not much else to report. We have to get ready for bed; Bryon has to be at work tomorrow at 5am!! Thank you for all your prayers, love, and support. Thank you to whoever deposited money in David's account. You have no idea how much that is appreciated. We have another overnighter on October 9, and the money is greatly needed and tremendously appreciated. I pray God blesses you 100-fold for your generosity. 'Thank you' just doesn't seem adequate.
You all have a good night tonight. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Even with insurance coverage, a family will have out-of-pocket expenses of about $40,000 PER YEAR, not including travel.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Good evening.
There is something going around the 'cancerland' we live in. I am going to post it here. Please read it very carefully; it is true, and also tragic!
"September is a disease awareness month, which you probably recognized by the gold ribbons displayed on all the corporate advertising on TV and in magazines and the special media reports.
What’s that? You haven’t seen any? That’s because, for some reason, this class of diseases attracts hardly any public attention.
If I said “pink ribbon,” you would have immediately thought of breast cancer. “Red ribbon” might be a little trickier, but eventually you would have come up with heart disease.
But the gold ribbon is nearly invisible.
It represents childhood cancers.
Today, as you read this, the equivalent of a classroom full of children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., more than 12,400 a year. About 4,000 child cancer victims will die this year, making cancer the number one disease-related killer of children under 14.
While 75 percent of childhood cancer cases are curable, for some forms, a cure remains illusive.
Only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use over the past two decades. For some of the rarest, but most deadly, childhood cancers, no new treatments have been introduced in more than three decades.
For every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS, 15 children are diagnosed with cancer, yet available funding dollars designated for research are vastly disproportionate: $595,000 for each AIDS victim and only $20,000 for each pediatric cancer victim.
Federal funding for breast cancer research is more than double that for all 12 major groups of pediatric cancer combined.
The end of September is approaching and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has passed, largely unnoticed by society. The rush to shower us with pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month is reminiscent of the crowding away of pumpkins and scarecrows by Christmas trees and snowmen.
Except there's no pushing gold aside. The way is clear for pink.
Even the American Cancer Society -- the outfit that professes to represent all cancers and provide support for everyone affected by the disease -- the organization for which we all come together and raise funds by holding a Relay each year -- has chosen not to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Go to www.cancer.org and what do you see? The banner at the top of the page is pink and touts the ACS' commitment to fighting breast cancer.
What if the focus that remains on breast cancer was turned to pediatric cancer?
I know millions of women are affected by breast cancer. But almost all of them are effectively treated.
Only thousands of kids are affected by cancer. But many -- perhaps most -- of them die.
I am grateful for the pink that signals the arrival of October in our day and time. I just wish there was a wave of gold -- more in terms of funding for research, but also in terms of awareness -- to usher in the pink.
If you are reading this, you know. You have traveled this tragic journey with us and you are aware of the impact of pediatric cancer on families.
Will you spread the word to someone who doesn't know today? Send an e-mail. Copy this to your blog, your faceook, your twitter. Write a letter to a corporation or a legislator. Or to an editor."
Please do whatever it takes to get the word out. Our children are our future. We need to help give them a chance to live. We need a lot more funding going to childhood cancer research. Please help. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
There is something going around the 'cancerland' we live in. I am going to post it here. Please read it very carefully; it is true, and also tragic!
"September is a disease awareness month, which you probably recognized by the gold ribbons displayed on all the corporate advertising on TV and in magazines and the special media reports.
What’s that? You haven’t seen any? That’s because, for some reason, this class of diseases attracts hardly any public attention.
If I said “pink ribbon,” you would have immediately thought of breast cancer. “Red ribbon” might be a little trickier, but eventually you would have come up with heart disease.
But the gold ribbon is nearly invisible.
It represents childhood cancers.
Today, as you read this, the equivalent of a classroom full of children will be diagnosed with cancer in the U.S., more than 12,400 a year. About 4,000 child cancer victims will die this year, making cancer the number one disease-related killer of children under 14.
While 75 percent of childhood cancer cases are curable, for some forms, a cure remains illusive.
Only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use over the past two decades. For some of the rarest, but most deadly, childhood cancers, no new treatments have been introduced in more than three decades.
For every one child diagnosed with pediatric AIDS, 15 children are diagnosed with cancer, yet available funding dollars designated for research are vastly disproportionate: $595,000 for each AIDS victim and only $20,000 for each pediatric cancer victim.
Federal funding for breast cancer research is more than double that for all 12 major groups of pediatric cancer combined.
The end of September is approaching and Childhood Cancer Awareness Month has passed, largely unnoticed by society. The rush to shower us with pink in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month is reminiscent of the crowding away of pumpkins and scarecrows by Christmas trees and snowmen.
Except there's no pushing gold aside. The way is clear for pink.
Even the American Cancer Society -- the outfit that professes to represent all cancers and provide support for everyone affected by the disease -- the organization for which we all come together and raise funds by holding a Relay each year -- has chosen not to recognize Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
Go to www.cancer.org and what do you see? The banner at the top of the page is pink and touts the ACS' commitment to fighting breast cancer.
What if the focus that remains on breast cancer was turned to pediatric cancer?
I know millions of women are affected by breast cancer. But almost all of them are effectively treated.
Only thousands of kids are affected by cancer. But many -- perhaps most -- of them die.
I am grateful for the pink that signals the arrival of October in our day and time. I just wish there was a wave of gold -- more in terms of funding for research, but also in terms of awareness -- to usher in the pink.
If you are reading this, you know. You have traveled this tragic journey with us and you are aware of the impact of pediatric cancer on families.
Will you spread the word to someone who doesn't know today? Send an e-mail. Copy this to your blog, your faceook, your twitter. Write a letter to a corporation or a legislator. Or to an editor."
Please do whatever it takes to get the word out. Our children are our future. We need to help give them a chance to live. We need a lot more funding going to childhood cancer research. Please help. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
Good evening.
Well, today was a very busy day for me!! I was watching my friend's son this morning, and I walked him to school. Then I came home and fixed David breakfast and ate my breakfast. Then we went to Reno for his oncology appointment. His appointment went well. He gained 10 pounds this month! I guess the milkshakes helped! So I was very happy to hear that!! Then Connie checked out his knee. She said it definitely feels loose inside. She said she is glad he is going to Dr. O'Donnell next week. She also was very perplexed about it all. By the way, she just had a knee replacement 4 months ago. Anyway, she said she has never seen this before. I said, "Of course not! This is David we are talking about. He is our curve-ball thrower!" She said, "Yeah, but a cute one!" As my friend and I said; we are really tired of hearing, "We have never seen this before" when it comes to David. Grrr. Very frustrating, let me tell you. Nothing can go smooth and easy for my poor child. *sigh* Then he got his flu shot before we left Renown. So he is good to go for another year. And I think he got it none too soon. I heard from Nita, and Chris has the flu!! So I am glad David got his flu shot already. Then we came home from Reno and I made David lunch. Then I ate lunch and headed to Dayton to the vet for Berlynn (our German Shepherd). Well, I found out she was already done with her shots!! So I came home and then had to go to Costco~~~we forgot to buy cat food the other day. I got home from Costco and went on the treadmill. When I was done with that it was time to make dinner!! Long, busy day! David did his school when I was at the vet and Costco. He had 2 Elluminate sessions today; one in English and one in Math. He really likes those. He says he misses being in a Christian school, but there is nothing I can do about that! He understands, and he is enjoying on-line school. It isn't a battle to get him to do his school, so that is good. So that was our day today. Whew. Glad it is pretty much over. Tomorrow I have to take my friend's son to school again~~a nice 10-minute walk round trip. Then I have got to get my house cleaned! I haven't had time to put all the groceries away yet! Oh, David has no PT until we know what is wrong with his knee. He is so sad about that (smile).
Please continue to pray for all our osteo family members. God knows who they are. Some are just beginning their battle, some are in the 'middle' just living life (like David), and some are losing the fight. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David. Thank you for your continued prayers; we still need them. Please keep praying for our 'special request.' Thank you so much. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
"Life is a promise: fulfill it."~~MOTHER THERESA
Well, today was a very busy day for me!! I was watching my friend's son this morning, and I walked him to school. Then I came home and fixed David breakfast and ate my breakfast. Then we went to Reno for his oncology appointment. His appointment went well. He gained 10 pounds this month! I guess the milkshakes helped! So I was very happy to hear that!! Then Connie checked out his knee. She said it definitely feels loose inside. She said she is glad he is going to Dr. O'Donnell next week. She also was very perplexed about it all. By the way, she just had a knee replacement 4 months ago. Anyway, she said she has never seen this before. I said, "Of course not! This is David we are talking about. He is our curve-ball thrower!" She said, "Yeah, but a cute one!" As my friend and I said; we are really tired of hearing, "We have never seen this before" when it comes to David. Grrr. Very frustrating, let me tell you. Nothing can go smooth and easy for my poor child. *sigh* Then he got his flu shot before we left Renown. So he is good to go for another year. And I think he got it none too soon. I heard from Nita, and Chris has the flu!! So I am glad David got his flu shot already. Then we came home from Reno and I made David lunch. Then I ate lunch and headed to Dayton to the vet for Berlynn (our German Shepherd). Well, I found out she was already done with her shots!! So I came home and then had to go to Costco~~~we forgot to buy cat food the other day. I got home from Costco and went on the treadmill. When I was done with that it was time to make dinner!! Long, busy day! David did his school when I was at the vet and Costco. He had 2 Elluminate sessions today; one in English and one in Math. He really likes those. He says he misses being in a Christian school, but there is nothing I can do about that! He understands, and he is enjoying on-line school. It isn't a battle to get him to do his school, so that is good. So that was our day today. Whew. Glad it is pretty much over. Tomorrow I have to take my friend's son to school again~~a nice 10-minute walk round trip. Then I have got to get my house cleaned! I haven't had time to put all the groceries away yet! Oh, David has no PT until we know what is wrong with his knee. He is so sad about that (smile).
Please continue to pray for all our osteo family members. God knows who they are. Some are just beginning their battle, some are in the 'middle' just living life (like David), and some are losing the fight. Thank you for your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David. Thank you for your continued prayers; we still need them. Please keep praying for our 'special request.' Thank you so much. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
"Life is a promise: fulfill it."~~MOTHER THERESA
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Good evening.
This weekend has been rather busy. Saturday we had to do grocery shopping, bleh! It is so hard to shop when there isn't much money to shop with! But we did it. Then we went to church Saturday night~~it was really good. Then today we went to Apple Hill. We like to go every year; it is kind of a tradition. We were able to get some apples, so that is good. The bummer thing is, my favorite place and major apple supplier; Mother Lode; is no longer there. The orchard isn't for sale, or anything, it is just closed. So I had to get my apples somewhere else. Oh well, at least I did get apples. It was a nice day, but David still didn't feel good. Of course, now he is on crutches, so the 'walking' around was hard for him. Jeremy and Lucy needed to leave so they could do grocery shopping before Costco closed, so they just took David and Jennifer with them. We left soon afterwards, and then we just picked up Jennifer and David at Costco. Then we came home and I made tacos for dinner. We had a picnic lunch at Apple Hill; and that was very fun. So we had a good, but busy weekend.
David has his oncology appointment tomorrow in Reno. Please pray that it goes well. I don't know what Connie is going to say about David's knee. She might want a plain film x-ray........or she just might just decide to wait until David gets the x-ray in San Francisco on the 29th. I will let you know what happens.
Then, I have to take our German Shepherd to the vet, again. She will be getting her last shot for the year, yay!! So tomorrow is going to be a busy day, too!!
Well, David wants a milkshake. Thank you for checking in. Keep checking back; David is our curve-ball thrower, remember?? God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.
This weekend has been rather busy. Saturday we had to do grocery shopping, bleh! It is so hard to shop when there isn't much money to shop with! But we did it. Then we went to church Saturday night~~it was really good. Then today we went to Apple Hill. We like to go every year; it is kind of a tradition. We were able to get some apples, so that is good. The bummer thing is, my favorite place and major apple supplier; Mother Lode; is no longer there. The orchard isn't for sale, or anything, it is just closed. So I had to get my apples somewhere else. Oh well, at least I did get apples. It was a nice day, but David still didn't feel good. Of course, now he is on crutches, so the 'walking' around was hard for him. Jeremy and Lucy needed to leave so they could do grocery shopping before Costco closed, so they just took David and Jennifer with them. We left soon afterwards, and then we just picked up Jennifer and David at Costco. Then we came home and I made tacos for dinner. We had a picnic lunch at Apple Hill; and that was very fun. So we had a good, but busy weekend.
David has his oncology appointment tomorrow in Reno. Please pray that it goes well. I don't know what Connie is going to say about David's knee. She might want a plain film x-ray........or she just might just decide to wait until David gets the x-ray in San Francisco on the 29th. I will let you know what happens.
Then, I have to take our German Shepherd to the vet, again. She will be getting her last shot for the year, yay!! So tomorrow is going to be a busy day, too!!
Well, David wants a milkshake. Thank you for checking in. Keep checking back; David is our curve-ball thrower, remember?? God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
Good evening.
Well, I got a hold of Dr. O'Donnell's office. Dr. O'Donnell is on vacation, of course! Nothing is easy for the Koury family. Of course the doctor needs a vacation with his family; he works soooo hard!! He is gone for his birthday, which is the day before mine! September is the best month!! Anyway, I talked to Carol and she said that it sounds like a hardware problem, and he MUST be seen. So we go to San Francisco on September 29. That is the soonest they could get him in. Carol said it is good David isn't in pain; but that is a sure sign that it is hardware and not bone. That is good news! The hardware is replaceable! I still am not going to bleed before I am shot, but I really don't want to think about David having to have another major surgery soon. We don't know if it means he will have to have the knee replaced or what. If they can't see what is wrong by the x-ray, will that mean they have to do exploratory surgery? Either way, it is another surgery! Poor kid. I am so tired of it. *sigh* So that is what I found out today. David has an oncology appointment on Monday, and we will talk to Connie about everything then. Until further notice David is on crutches and non weight-bearing, again. Carol wants him off the leg 'just in case.' So no PT for awhile~~~breaks David's heart (smile).
Please continue to pray for David. Thank you for your prayers, so far. Pray he continues to stay pain-free. Being non weight-bearing will help, I'm sure. Thank you for being there and checking in on David. I will let you know if anything happens. You will know when I know!
That is about all that is happening. I need to get David's medicine ready. Have a good night. Sleep good. Keep checking back, you never know what David is going to throw at us!! God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Whether their children are in remission, cured, or still in treatment, parents of kids with cancer never really relax. Your mind tells you if it happened once, it could happen again.
Well, I got a hold of Dr. O'Donnell's office. Dr. O'Donnell is on vacation, of course! Nothing is easy for the Koury family. Of course the doctor needs a vacation with his family; he works soooo hard!! He is gone for his birthday, which is the day before mine! September is the best month!! Anyway, I talked to Carol and she said that it sounds like a hardware problem, and he MUST be seen. So we go to San Francisco on September 29. That is the soonest they could get him in. Carol said it is good David isn't in pain; but that is a sure sign that it is hardware and not bone. That is good news! The hardware is replaceable! I still am not going to bleed before I am shot, but I really don't want to think about David having to have another major surgery soon. We don't know if it means he will have to have the knee replaced or what. If they can't see what is wrong by the x-ray, will that mean they have to do exploratory surgery? Either way, it is another surgery! Poor kid. I am so tired of it. *sigh* So that is what I found out today. David has an oncology appointment on Monday, and we will talk to Connie about everything then. Until further notice David is on crutches and non weight-bearing, again. Carol wants him off the leg 'just in case.' So no PT for awhile~~~breaks David's heart (smile).
Please continue to pray for David. Thank you for your prayers, so far. Pray he continues to stay pain-free. Being non weight-bearing will help, I'm sure. Thank you for being there and checking in on David. I will let you know if anything happens. You will know when I know!
That is about all that is happening. I need to get David's medicine ready. Have a good night. Sleep good. Keep checking back, you never know what David is going to throw at us!! God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Whether their children are in remission, cured, or still in treatment, parents of kids with cancer never really relax. Your mind tells you if it happened once, it could happen again.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Good evening.
I am going to post something I wrote last September. It is still just as relevant as it was last year.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. Each day, 7 children die as a result of childhood cancer. It is the number one killer disease of our children, more than from asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS combined. Did you know that 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20 and that 35-40,000 are in treatment every day? Yet only 3% of all cancer research money goes to childhood cancer. Our war against childhood cancer is vastly under-publicized and under-funded. It is the Inconvenient Truth America needs to be aware of.
I don’t know how many of you readers have ever been on a pediatric oncology floor. If you have ever walked the halls and seen the smiles or tears on the faces of these little fighters as they play on the little trikes and big wheels. How the moms and dads race behind them with the ever present IV pole. How they have little child-sized masks on because they are at high risk of infection. How the teens hang together and still try to be cool, even though they’re bald and ready to throw up at any time. How the teens have added words like methotrexate, and hydration, and limb-salvage; and acronyms like ANC and GCSF to their vocabulary, instead of LOL and "sweet". How the poor little babies cry because they can't even relate what hurts. Or if you've ever seen a mom or dad alone in the parent room at 3 am, with their head in their hands, feeling alone, helpless, scared and mad. I don't know if you've ever visited a Care Page or a Caring Bridge site besides this one; blogs where we tell our kid's stories. I've seen it all and more. I have seen enough. I have lived through it. I am still living it. I will forever live it.
David is doing the same. He tried to do his PT in the pool today, his leg still didn't co-operate. He says he has no control over how his lower leg 'swings' as he walks. When we walk, if we turn our foot in or out, we do it from our hip. His lower leg is swinging from the knee. I haven't heard back from Connie yet, so I don't know when we will get it x-rayed. I am not panicking because he isn't in any pain. Please continue to pray for him. This is just very unsettling!! We shudder to think that he went through all the hell of the limb-salvage just to lose his leg, anyway!! That would just so suck!! *sigh*
Otherwise he is doing good. He is really enjoying doing on-line school! He is such a great kid! We are so proud of him. He is doing his best to 'catch up' with everybody else. I have no doubt he will succeed!!
Well, David is wanting a milkshake, so I will close for now. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Confucius said it best "The smallest gesture is better than the grandest intention"
I am going to post something I wrote last September. It is still just as relevant as it was last year.
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each day, 46 children are diagnosed with cancer. Each day, 7 children die as a result of childhood cancer. It is the number one killer disease of our children, more than from asthma, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, congenital anomalies, and pediatric AIDS combined. Did you know that 1 in 300 children will be diagnosed with cancer before age 20 and that 35-40,000 are in treatment every day? Yet only 3% of all cancer research money goes to childhood cancer. Our war against childhood cancer is vastly under-publicized and under-funded. It is the Inconvenient Truth America needs to be aware of.
I don’t know how many of you readers have ever been on a pediatric oncology floor. If you have ever walked the halls and seen the smiles or tears on the faces of these little fighters as they play on the little trikes and big wheels. How the moms and dads race behind them with the ever present IV pole. How they have little child-sized masks on because they are at high risk of infection. How the teens hang together and still try to be cool, even though they’re bald and ready to throw up at any time. How the teens have added words like methotrexate, and hydration, and limb-salvage; and acronyms like ANC and GCSF to their vocabulary, instead of LOL and "sweet". How the poor little babies cry because they can't even relate what hurts. Or if you've ever seen a mom or dad alone in the parent room at 3 am, with their head in their hands, feeling alone, helpless, scared and mad. I don't know if you've ever visited a Care Page or a Caring Bridge site besides this one; blogs where we tell our kid's stories. I've seen it all and more. I have seen enough. I have lived through it. I am still living it. I will forever live it.
David is doing the same. He tried to do his PT in the pool today, his leg still didn't co-operate. He says he has no control over how his lower leg 'swings' as he walks. When we walk, if we turn our foot in or out, we do it from our hip. His lower leg is swinging from the knee. I haven't heard back from Connie yet, so I don't know when we will get it x-rayed. I am not panicking because he isn't in any pain. Please continue to pray for him. This is just very unsettling!! We shudder to think that he went through all the hell of the limb-salvage just to lose his leg, anyway!! That would just so suck!! *sigh*
Otherwise he is doing good. He is really enjoying doing on-line school! He is such a great kid! We are so proud of him. He is doing his best to 'catch up' with everybody else. I have no doubt he will succeed!!
Well, David is wanting a milkshake, so I will close for now. Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Confucius said it best "The smallest gesture is better than the grandest intention"
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Good evening.
David's knee is still the same. This has happened before, and it always fixes itself in a matter of minutes. This time is different. Today David tried to walk with his cane (instead of the crutches), to see if his leg would 'fix' itself; and he almost fell!! His knee gave out on him, BIG time!! So we won't be using the cane again! He is still using his crutches. I am going to call Connie tomorrow, I think we should have his leg x-rayed. We are getting rather concerned about it. Like I said, it has always fixed itself before, which is why we have waited so long. I am not a 'panic over everything' person, so we waited. Besides, we learned on our support group website to not 'bleed until we are shot!' I don't know if we are shot or not, so we aren't bleeding, yet! Please continue to pray that everything is fine; nothing major. Thanks.
David is getting the hang of school pretty fast. He really likes the 'Elluminate' sessions. And in his Game Design class he got to play a game on the internet! Then he had to critique it. Poor kid. Don't you feel sorry for him? He had to play a game, for credit! Right up his alley, let me tell you! Thank you for your prayers for him and school.
I heard from Nita this evening~~~Chris is doing really well. He had scans today, and he is doing good. There is just one question about his left foot~~looks like maybe a stress fracture or something. The doctors aren't worried about it. Chris is not in pain, so that is a good thing. We really miss them. Chris and David had a lot of fun in the hospital together. As much fun as they could, anyway. I mean, they were both there to have chemo, after all!!! But they were great kids and made the best of a horrible situation. They are great kids!! Who would have thought they could find a friend in the hospital!?!? Strange.......
I will take David to the pool tomorrow for PT; if Lu Ann thinks he shouldn't do it, then he won't. I just think it will be ok with the buoyancy of the water. Please pray that it goes ok. Thanks.
Thank you for your prayers for Sara. She made it home safely. Please continue to pray for her pain to be managed. She had a HUGE surgery. Please pray that she is able to enjoy these days at home before her next chemo. Also, thank you for the prayers for Samuel. He came through the surgery just fine. He is doing ok, considering.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thanks.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. I hope to have better news about David's leg tomorrow. Keep checking! Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you. {HUGS}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For every six research dollars per patient with AIDS and every one research dollar per patient with breast cancer, a child with cancer receives only 30 cents.
David's knee is still the same. This has happened before, and it always fixes itself in a matter of minutes. This time is different. Today David tried to walk with his cane (instead of the crutches), to see if his leg would 'fix' itself; and he almost fell!! His knee gave out on him, BIG time!! So we won't be using the cane again! He is still using his crutches. I am going to call Connie tomorrow, I think we should have his leg x-rayed. We are getting rather concerned about it. Like I said, it has always fixed itself before, which is why we have waited so long. I am not a 'panic over everything' person, so we waited. Besides, we learned on our support group website to not 'bleed until we are shot!' I don't know if we are shot or not, so we aren't bleeding, yet! Please continue to pray that everything is fine; nothing major. Thanks.
David is getting the hang of school pretty fast. He really likes the 'Elluminate' sessions. And in his Game Design class he got to play a game on the internet! Then he had to critique it. Poor kid. Don't you feel sorry for him? He had to play a game, for credit! Right up his alley, let me tell you! Thank you for your prayers for him and school.
I heard from Nita this evening~~~Chris is doing really well. He had scans today, and he is doing good. There is just one question about his left foot~~looks like maybe a stress fracture or something. The doctors aren't worried about it. Chris is not in pain, so that is a good thing. We really miss them. Chris and David had a lot of fun in the hospital together. As much fun as they could, anyway. I mean, they were both there to have chemo, after all!!! But they were great kids and made the best of a horrible situation. They are great kids!! Who would have thought they could find a friend in the hospital!?!? Strange.......
I will take David to the pool tomorrow for PT; if Lu Ann thinks he shouldn't do it, then he won't. I just think it will be ok with the buoyancy of the water. Please pray that it goes ok. Thanks.
Thank you for your prayers for Sara. She made it home safely. Please continue to pray for her pain to be managed. She had a HUGE surgery. Please pray that she is able to enjoy these days at home before her next chemo. Also, thank you for the prayers for Samuel. He came through the surgery just fine. He is doing ok, considering.
Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thanks.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. I hope to have better news about David's leg tomorrow. Keep checking! Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you. {HUGS}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For every six research dollars per patient with AIDS and every one research dollar per patient with breast cancer, a child with cancer receives only 30 cents.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Good evening.
David is still having problems with his leg. He says the leg below his knee feels like it just 'swings' when he turns as he is walking. He says it feels 'loose' inside. I dropped a note to Connie, so we will see what she says. If we have to go to S.F. that will be a bummer! He is supposed to go on October 8th anyway, but we don't think he can last that long if this doesn't get better. We just wish we knew what happened!! *sigh* I told you a LONG time ago that David is our curve-ball thrower!! He continues to be! Please continue to pray that his leg 'fixes' itself. We are thinking that maybe the part that is in the tibia is loose and spinning~~~but we aren't sure. We just know that if something happens and the implant doesn't 'take' in his leg, then he loses his leg. Please, please pray that there is nothing major wrong. He is back on crutches again; he says the leg feels too weak to support him. Thank you for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for our other osteo family members. Sara got to go home today! She already has her staples out! Please pray that she can have her pain managed at home, and that her next chemo (on Tuesday) will go ok for her. We know how hard it is to have chemo and try to recover from surgery at the same time!! Also, please pray for a little boy, named Samuel, who will be having surgery tomorrow. He will be having a rotaionplasty done. It is too hard to explain; I have put a link on the resource page. Thank you again for all your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. Sleep tight. God bless you all. We love you. {{HUGS}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
More than 2/3’s of survivors will deal with one or more (sometimes life-long) “late effects” from treatment, which can occur in any organ or system of the body, & include such things as Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD – can occur from bone marrow transplants), learning disorders, growth problems, sterility, hearing &/or vision loss, neuropathy/pain, heart damage, amputations (& prosthetics) & the possibilities of recurrences &/or secondary cancers.
David is still having problems with his leg. He says the leg below his knee feels like it just 'swings' when he turns as he is walking. He says it feels 'loose' inside. I dropped a note to Connie, so we will see what she says. If we have to go to S.F. that will be a bummer! He is supposed to go on October 8th anyway, but we don't think he can last that long if this doesn't get better. We just wish we knew what happened!! *sigh* I told you a LONG time ago that David is our curve-ball thrower!! He continues to be! Please continue to pray that his leg 'fixes' itself. We are thinking that maybe the part that is in the tibia is loose and spinning~~~but we aren't sure. We just know that if something happens and the implant doesn't 'take' in his leg, then he loses his leg. Please, please pray that there is nothing major wrong. He is back on crutches again; he says the leg feels too weak to support him. Thank you for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for our other osteo family members. Sara got to go home today! She already has her staples out! Please pray that she can have her pain managed at home, and that her next chemo (on Tuesday) will go ok for her. We know how hard it is to have chemo and try to recover from surgery at the same time!! Also, please pray for a little boy, named Samuel, who will be having surgery tomorrow. He will be having a rotaionplasty done. It is too hard to explain; I have put a link on the resource page. Thank you again for all your prayers.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. Sleep tight. God bless you all. We love you. {{HUGS}}
Kristi and the Koury Klan
More than 2/3’s of survivors will deal with one or more (sometimes life-long) “late effects” from treatment, which can occur in any organ or system of the body, & include such things as Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD – can occur from bone marrow transplants), learning disorders, growth problems, sterility, hearing &/or vision loss, neuropathy/pain, heart damage, amputations (& prosthetics) & the possibilities of recurrences &/or secondary cancers.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
Good evening.
We had a pretty good time in Reno on Saturday. Saturday was 'Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.' The whole month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Anyway, we had fun. The weather was perfect!
David is doing ok with school. He had an 'Elluminate' session today~~it is a live teaching session. It was in English, and it is just like he is sitting in a classroom. The teacher is lecturing, and the kids can ask questions. We could hear the questions from the other kids. David really enjoyed that session. It is totally interactive~~he had to answer questions and everything! He is enjoying school, so far. Thank you for your prayers for him; please keep them coming! He is trying to get caught up, it will take a bit of time, but I know he will get there.
Please pray for David. He is having a bit of trouble with his prosthesis. He can't stand on his leg right now; he says it feels like the implant is 'loose' or something. He says he thinks it is the knee, but can't really tell exactly where it is. Our surgeon is in San Francisco!! We don't know if maybe he twisted wrong, or what. It just happened after he emptied the dishwasher. He was ok in PT today (other than tired and sore), so we don't know what happened. He is not in any pain, so that is a good thing. Please pray that this 'problem' resolves itself, and he wakes up fine tomorrow morning. Thanks.
That is about all that is happening. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Thank you for your notes in the Guestbook. Please continue to pray for Peter and Vicki. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas (that is what David has), relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
We had a pretty good time in Reno on Saturday. Saturday was 'Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.' The whole month of September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Anyway, we had fun. The weather was perfect!
David is doing ok with school. He had an 'Elluminate' session today~~it is a live teaching session. It was in English, and it is just like he is sitting in a classroom. The teacher is lecturing, and the kids can ask questions. We could hear the questions from the other kids. David really enjoyed that session. It is totally interactive~~he had to answer questions and everything! He is enjoying school, so far. Thank you for your prayers for him; please keep them coming! He is trying to get caught up, it will take a bit of time, but I know he will get there.
Please pray for David. He is having a bit of trouble with his prosthesis. He can't stand on his leg right now; he says it feels like the implant is 'loose' or something. He says he thinks it is the knee, but can't really tell exactly where it is. Our surgeon is in San Francisco!! We don't know if maybe he twisted wrong, or what. It just happened after he emptied the dishwasher. He was ok in PT today (other than tired and sore), so we don't know what happened. He is not in any pain, so that is a good thing. Please pray that this 'problem' resolves itself, and he wakes up fine tomorrow morning. Thanks.
That is about all that is happening. Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support. Thank you for your notes in the Guestbook. Please continue to pray for Peter and Vicki. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Several childhood cancers continue to have a very poor prognosis, including: brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas (that is what David has), relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Good evening.
David did ok in PT today. He was still stiff and a bit sore. But he still did everything. He tries so hard. There are just some things he still struggles with, BIG time. But he is getting stronger, which is good. We had to get a paper stating that he has had at least 60 hours of PT so he can get his PE credit for school. He has had over 90 hours of PT!! So he is covered for his PE credit for this year! And, since PT is ongoing, he will probably be covered for next year, too.
Tomorrow we are going to Reno for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Celebration. It is from 9am-12pm. There will be a free pancake breakfast, some booths, and the 'Wall of Courage' that David is featured on. I hope it will be a fun time.
David is doing ok in school. It will take some gettin used to, but he is handling it like he handles everything~~~like a trooper!! Please continue to pray for him as he does school. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for all the osteo children who are fighting this horrible disease. Some of them are; Sara S., Ben, Kenny, Shane, Conner, Case, Rachel, Madison, Keaton, Frankie, Kennedy, Sammie, Muriel, Nicholas, Nicole, Sonya, Teagan, Zoe, Sam, Chris, Danielle, Jenna, Amanda, Kelly, Nicki, Nichole, Sara R., Ty, Emma, and others that God knows who they are. Some of these children are NED (No Evidence of Disease), but they still need our prayers. Thank you so much for your prayers. If I have forgotten your child, please forgive me.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night tonight, and a good day tomorrow. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Cancer treatment can cause serious side effects that may last a lifetime.
David did ok in PT today. He was still stiff and a bit sore. But he still did everything. He tries so hard. There are just some things he still struggles with, BIG time. But he is getting stronger, which is good. We had to get a paper stating that he has had at least 60 hours of PT so he can get his PE credit for school. He has had over 90 hours of PT!! So he is covered for his PE credit for this year! And, since PT is ongoing, he will probably be covered for next year, too.
Tomorrow we are going to Reno for the Childhood Cancer Awareness Celebration. It is from 9am-12pm. There will be a free pancake breakfast, some booths, and the 'Wall of Courage' that David is featured on. I hope it will be a fun time.
David is doing ok in school. It will take some gettin used to, but he is handling it like he handles everything~~~like a trooper!! Please continue to pray for him as he does school. Thanks.
Please continue to pray for all the osteo children who are fighting this horrible disease. Some of them are; Sara S., Ben, Kenny, Shane, Conner, Case, Rachel, Madison, Keaton, Frankie, Kennedy, Sammie, Muriel, Nicholas, Nicole, Sonya, Teagan, Zoe, Sam, Chris, Danielle, Jenna, Amanda, Kelly, Nicki, Nichole, Sara R., Ty, Emma, and others that God knows who they are. Some of these children are NED (No Evidence of Disease), but they still need our prayers. Thank you so much for your prayers. If I have forgotten your child, please forgive me.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night tonight, and a good day tomorrow. Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Cancer treatment can cause serious side effects that may last a lifetime.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Good evening.
David did pretty good in the pool today. I was all toasty warm in the room. Fall is in the air, even though the weather is still in the 80's. We can really feel a bit of a nip in the air. I can't wait! Fall is my favorite season (folowed closely by winter). I love all the colors of the leaves on the trees.
David started school today! Woo-Hoo!! His classes are: Algebra II; American History; Art appreciation; English III; Mandarin Chinese; and Game Design. He has a bit of catching up to do, but he is a bright kid, we know he can do it. It is way different from how he is used to doing school. It is going to take some getting used to. I know that on-line schooling is the 'wave of the future' (and some colleges are using it now), but we aren't used to it, yet. We are used to the paper, books, and pencils way of doing school. Please pray that David gets the hang of it quickly. Thanks.
Well, we have a temporary resolution to our special prayer request. Now we are working with a lawyer to get it totally resolved. Please continue to pray. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I really appreciate your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
DID YOU KNOW?
xx
* In the U.S. almost 3000 children die from cancer each year.
xx
* Cancer is the number one disease killer of children.
xx
* In the past 20 years only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
xx
* Only 3 percent of the budget from the National Cancer Institute goes towards Pediatric Cancer Research.
xx
* September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month, which nationally goes largely unrecognized.
xx
*The government recently cut the budget for Childhood Cancer Research.
xx
*Currently there is between 30-40,000 children being treated for cancer in the US.
xxxs
*As a nation, we spend $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on childhood cancer research per year.
xxxx
You can make a difference. Write to your representative and congressmen telling them you are outraged by these facts.
David did pretty good in the pool today. I was all toasty warm in the room. Fall is in the air, even though the weather is still in the 80's. We can really feel a bit of a nip in the air. I can't wait! Fall is my favorite season (folowed closely by winter). I love all the colors of the leaves on the trees.
David started school today! Woo-Hoo!! His classes are: Algebra II; American History; Art appreciation; English III; Mandarin Chinese; and Game Design. He has a bit of catching up to do, but he is a bright kid, we know he can do it. It is way different from how he is used to doing school. It is going to take some getting used to. I know that on-line schooling is the 'wave of the future' (and some colleges are using it now), but we aren't used to it, yet. We are used to the paper, books, and pencils way of doing school. Please pray that David gets the hang of it quickly. Thanks.
Well, we have a temporary resolution to our special prayer request. Now we are working with a lawyer to get it totally resolved. Please continue to pray. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. I really appreciate your love, prayers, and support. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
DID YOU KNOW?
xx
* In the U.S. almost 3000 children die from cancer each year.
xx
* Cancer is the number one disease killer of children.
xx
* In the past 20 years only one new cancer drug has been approved for pediatric use.
xx
* Only 3 percent of the budget from the National Cancer Institute goes towards Pediatric Cancer Research.
xx
* September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness month, which nationally goes largely unrecognized.
xx
*The government recently cut the budget for Childhood Cancer Research.
xx
*Currently there is between 30-40,000 children being treated for cancer in the US.
xxxs
*As a nation, we spend $14 BILLION per year on the space program, but only $35 MILLION on childhood cancer research per year.
xxxx
You can make a difference. Write to your representative and congressmen telling them you are outraged by these facts.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Good evening.
David had an 'ok' day at PT today. He was a little stiff and sore, but he just plugged along, as usual. He did everything asked of him. He has pool therapy tomorrow.
We were supposed to go to our support group meeting tonight; but we weren't able to make it. We are still trying to resolve the issue I have asked prayer for. I guess we will find out some news tomorrow. There will still be more prayer needed, but at least I will have some news tomorrow.
David went to the Teen Community Bible Study tonight. Tonight was the first night. Jennifer took David, Tyler and Billy~~~we were supposed to be at our support group meeting. Oh well. Such is life. Jennifer didn't mind taking the boys. I hope they had fun.
Please continue to pray for Mattie's parents. They are now childless, and that just flat out sucks!! My heart is so heavy and sad for them. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. Please keep the prayers coming. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented. (Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents).
David had an 'ok' day at PT today. He was a little stiff and sore, but he just plugged along, as usual. He did everything asked of him. He has pool therapy tomorrow.
We were supposed to go to our support group meeting tonight; but we weren't able to make it. We are still trying to resolve the issue I have asked prayer for. I guess we will find out some news tomorrow. There will still be more prayer needed, but at least I will have some news tomorrow.
David went to the Teen Community Bible Study tonight. Tonight was the first night. Jennifer took David, Tyler and Billy~~~we were supposed to be at our support group meeting. Oh well. Such is life. Jennifer didn't mind taking the boys. I hope they had fun.
Please continue to pray for Mattie's parents. They are now childless, and that just flat out sucks!! My heart is so heavy and sad for them. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your prayers, love, and support. Please keep the prayers coming. Have a good evening. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented. (Most adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents).
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Good evening.
My heart is very sad tonight. Mattie died this morning. Please remember his parents, Peter and Vicki, in your prayers. I can't even imagine what they are going through right now. Thank you.
David has PT tomorrow. He is not looking forward to it, as usual. Please pray he does well.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For the patients' parents, a cancer diagnosis can launch a balancing act between the toughness needed to hold together the family and demand the best medical care, and the gentleness needed to stay collected and positive with the child. The ordeal of treatments creates a bond among families who go through the experience.
My heart is very sad tonight. Mattie died this morning. Please remember his parents, Peter and Vicki, in your prayers. I can't even imagine what they are going through right now. Thank you.
David has PT tomorrow. He is not looking forward to it, as usual. Please pray he does well.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good night. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
For the patients' parents, a cancer diagnosis can launch a balancing act between the toughness needed to hold together the family and demand the best medical care, and the gentleness needed to stay collected and positive with the child. The ordeal of treatments creates a bond among families who go through the experience.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Good morning. I thought I would update before David got up.
David is doing good. He is still not eating like we would like him to, tho. I am trying all sort of 'treats' to get him to eat. He loves my homemade (from scratch) brownies, so I made him some. He is so silly. When there are only a couple left, he won't eat them because then they will be gone. I told him, "Then I will make more!" He is such a goof-ball!! So at least he is eating brownies!
We have to call his school counselor because he hasn't received his schedule yet. We want to get going on school. Well, he doesn't, of course! But he knows we need to get moving on this.
Well, that is about all that is going on now. Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thank you so much for your prayers. We really need them!!
Please remember to keep Mattie in your prayers. They are measuring his time left on Earth in hours and/or days~~~not even weeks. Please remember his parents, Peter and Vicki, in your prayers. Thank you so much.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a wonderful day.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month…the general public is not aware of this!
The Gold Ribbon is the symbol for Childhood Cancer…the general public is not aware of this either!
The fact that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and that the Gold Ribbon symbolizes Childhood Cancer goes largely unrecognized across our country.
David is doing good. He is still not eating like we would like him to, tho. I am trying all sort of 'treats' to get him to eat. He loves my homemade (from scratch) brownies, so I made him some. He is so silly. When there are only a couple left, he won't eat them because then they will be gone. I told him, "Then I will make more!" He is such a goof-ball!! So at least he is eating brownies!
We have to call his school counselor because he hasn't received his schedule yet. We want to get going on school. Well, he doesn't, of course! But he knows we need to get moving on this.
Well, that is about all that is going on now. Please continue to pray for our 'special request.' Thank you so much for your prayers. We really need them!!
Please remember to keep Mattie in your prayers. They are measuring his time left on Earth in hours and/or days~~~not even weeks. Please remember his parents, Peter and Vicki, in your prayers. Thank you so much.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. Have a wonderful day.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month…the general public is not aware of this!
The Gold Ribbon is the symbol for Childhood Cancer…the general public is not aware of this either!
The fact that September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and that the Gold Ribbon symbolizes Childhood Cancer goes largely unrecognized across our country.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Good evening.
David had a pretty good day today. He pretty much played games all day. But then tonight we took him to an ice cream social and information time for the Teen Community Bible Study. It was a meeting for the parents and the teens. We took him and his friend Billy to the meeting. We had to force him to eat ice cream, though. He is such a goof ball! But he is looking forward to the Bible Study. It starts next week.
David has PT tomorrow morning in the pool. Then in the afternoon we have to go to Reno for an orientation meeting for his school. That will be informative, I am sure. Then we are going to Jeremy and Lucy's for dinner. I am excited about that. We haven't seen them in a few weeks. So tomorrow will be a VERY busy day.
Thank you for your prayers for Sara and Mattie and Sammie. Please keep them coming. Sara is doing better today; 'better' being a relative term. Thanks again for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for us and the 'special request' I asked prayer for. Thank you.
Please continue to spread the word about September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Thanks.
Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.
David had a pretty good day today. He pretty much played games all day. But then tonight we took him to an ice cream social and information time for the Teen Community Bible Study. It was a meeting for the parents and the teens. We took him and his friend Billy to the meeting. We had to force him to eat ice cream, though. He is such a goof ball! But he is looking forward to the Bible Study. It starts next week.
David has PT tomorrow morning in the pool. Then in the afternoon we have to go to Reno for an orientation meeting for his school. That will be informative, I am sure. Then we are going to Jeremy and Lucy's for dinner. I am excited about that. We haven't seen them in a few weeks. So tomorrow will be a VERY busy day.
Thank you for your prayers for Sara and Mattie and Sammie. Please keep them coming. Sara is doing better today; 'better' being a relative term. Thanks again for your prayers.
Please continue to pray for us and the 'special request' I asked prayer for. Thank you.
Please continue to spread the word about September being Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Thanks.
Thank you for visiting and checking in on David and the Koury Klan. God bless you all. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
The National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) federal budget was $4.6 billion. Of that, breast cancer received 12%, prostate cancer received 7%, and all 12 major groups of pediatric cancers combined received less than 3%.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Good evening.
I heard from Sara's mom. Please keep Sara in your prayers. She is having some issues with pain management. She had quite an extensive surgery. She has a new knee, femur, and partial hip. Please continue to pray for her. Thank you.
David is doing ok. Still no school work. *sigh* We will 'go with the flow' and see what happens; I am just tired of his school year going so late into the summer. Oh well.
Please continue to pray for the 'special request' I asked for. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Nationally, childhood cancer is 20x more prevalent than pediatric AIDS.
Pediatric AIDS receives 4x the funding that childhood cancer receives.
In one month there are 2x as many deaths from childhood cancer as pediatric AIDS for the entire year.
I heard from Sara's mom. Please keep Sara in your prayers. She is having some issues with pain management. She had quite an extensive surgery. She has a new knee, femur, and partial hip. Please continue to pray for her. Thank you.
David is doing ok. Still no school work. *sigh* We will 'go with the flow' and see what happens; I am just tired of his school year going so late into the summer. Oh well.
Please continue to pray for the 'special request' I asked for. Thank you.
Thank you for checking in on David and the Koury Klan. Have a good evening. God bless you. We love you.
Kristi and the Koury Klan
Nationally, childhood cancer is 20x more prevalent than pediatric AIDS.
Pediatric AIDS receives 4x the funding that childhood cancer receives.
In one month there are 2x as many deaths from childhood cancer as pediatric AIDS for the entire year.
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